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Ron rose early as usual and sent Froakie off to water the crops. He then inspected the parsnips—those planted on Spring 1 were already growing tall.
Today was Spring 4. That meant tomorrow, he'd harvest his first batch of parsnips.
As he walked the fields, Ron suddenly spotted a black feather nestled in the grass. He picked it up, turning it over in his hand—but couldn't identify what creature it belonged to.
Still, it put him on alert. Feathers meant bird Pokémon. And if weaker Pokémon could freely pass through the town's barrier, then they might wander onto his farm too.
Alarmed, Ron quickly counted his parsnips. Seeing all fifteen still intact, he relaxed.
Just then, he noticed Lewis standing at the farm gate.
Seeing Ron look over, Lewis waved and strode toward him.
"How's farm life treating you these past couple days?" Lewis asked politely, eyes scanning the property.
"Pretty well," Ron replied.
Lewis took in the scene: Froakie watering diligently, Geodude chopping wood with a tiny axe, Dugtrio clearing weeds—and Ron himself, hands behind his back like a seasoned overseer.
The contrast struck Lewis speechless for a moment. After a pause, he simply nodded. "Good… I'm glad you're settling in."
Ron gave a small nod in return.
Then, as if remembering his purpose, Lewis pulled a letter from his pocket with a smile. "Ah—this is for you. It came from Kalos."
"Kalos?" Ron took the letter.
"Yes. It arrived last night. Since the comms system isn't fully synced yet, I'm handling deliveries for now." Lewis beamed at the envelope. "Once your farm's running smoothly, you'll get direct access. Don't rush it—until then, I'll bring any mail to you right away."
Ron thanked him and opened the letter.
Lewis tactfully turned and left.
The letter was from the Kalos Pokémon Nurse Academy, signed by a Joy—with a handwritten note in parentheses: "Formerly stationed in Pelican Town."
Ron read through it carefully. The gist: hearing that Ron had inherited his grandfather's farm, the Academy offered to send a Joy to Pelican Town to re-establish a Pokémon Center.
This would facilitate future Pokémon transfers—but only if Ron obtained a Kalos Breeding License and prepared a building to house the Center's equipment.
"A Pokémon Center?"
Ron paused, fixated on those two words—and immediately thought of Pelican Town's derelict Community Center.
He glanced at the ruined greenhouse in the corner of his farm, then quickly folded the letter and hurried after Lewis.
By now, Lewis had reached the town square. Hearing footsteps, he turned to see Ron catching up.
"What's wrong? Something urgent?" Lewis asked, noting Ron's breathless state.
Ron pointed down the street toward the Community Center. "That building—what's its story?"
Lewis followed his gesture, then turned back. "Oh, that? It's the old Community Center. Completely run-down now. You want to… tour it?"
Without waiting for an answer, Lewis—long accustomed to the eccentricities of Ron's grandfather—simply pulled out a key.
"Jas and Vincent used to sneak in to play… You don't know them—they're Marnie and Jodi's kids. I locked it up to keep them safe." He handed Ron the key. "Go ahead and take a look. And if you're in there anyway… mind catching a few rats for me?"
His eyes drifted to the broken clock above the Center's entrance, its hands frozen in time. A wistful expression crossed his face. "That place is full of memories… for us old-timers. I won't go in."
Swallowing a pang of nostalgia, Lewis turned and walked away.
Ron took the key and approached the Community Center.
In the game, this place functioned like a quest hub: deposit specific items into bundles, and you'd unlock useful features—like the mine cart linking the farm to the mines, or the greenhouse.
Ron wasn't sure if that system still existed here. He slid the key into the lock and pushed the door open.
Creak…
A flash of green darted past inside.
Ron recognized it instantly: a Junimo—spirit-like caretakers who, in the game, would magically restore buildings if given proper offerings.
Their presence reassured him—but in this reality, repairs might not require magic. The greenhouse or mine cart could likely be fixed through ordinary means.
Still, Ron began searching for the offering scrolls.
To his surprise, the interior differed slightly from his memory.
The game's pixelated 2D layout didn't include the counter-like structure near the entrance—or the machine-like device behind it.
It looked… unmistakably like a Pokémon Center.
So that's where Joy used to work.
Ron stepped up to the counter and saw a golden scroll laid at its center.
Bracing himself to decipher foreign script, he was stunned to find words that he could understand:
[Reception Hall]
Bundles Required:
– Berries ×4
– Small Mushrooms ×4
– Potions ×3
– Honey ×1
Rewards:
– Pokémon Center Reception
– Pokémon Transfer System
– Mine Cart
Below the words were lines of text Ron couldn't read—but by comparing layout and spacing, he guessed it was a translation.
Way too convenient… Ron muttered inwardly.
But now he faced a problem: every item listed was Pokémon-world-exclusive.
Based on his exploration so far, he was certain none of these existed in Pelican Town.
"Do I have to go to Kalos just to get these?" he wondered aloud, wandering deeper into the decaying center.
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